“15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by th eir fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.”
-Jesus in Matthew 7:15-17, KJV
Did you catch what Jesus says to watch?
Fruit.
And this conjures up for me the Galatians’ passage where the Apostle Paul tells us what are the Holy Spirit’s fruit…
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
-Galatians 5:22-23, KJV
Jesus does not say professed doctrine is the telltale sign of someone being a true follower or servant.
It isn’t about the words someone says. Obviously, what we think and say matter. However, that is NOT what Jesus says to watch. “Right” professed belief is not the give away.
The people who are acting in alignment with God are the people whose life show fruit.
Plenty of religious people can profess the “right” doctrine. However, their lives are conspicuously void of any of those fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5. I would encourage you to use this both on the faith community you find for your healing support as well as how you apply to those professing one thing yet living another–namely, cheaters (sadly too often). _________ *A version of this post ran previously.
